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Hellen, George Gittoes and Zinzimar

Here is a shot on Hellen and I and Zinzimar in Asam’s village . This is a very remote village in the Tora Bora area where we have shot most of our children’s drama. Zinsimar has a small role as Medina’s sister . Her father Asam is playing himself and while he does not have a lot of dialogue he is a strong presence throughout. Our plan it to take the Tora Bora Circus Tent to this village and show the villagers what we have shot. It will be all the scenes they and their people are involved in and lots of personal cutaways to the villagers watching the shooting etc. We can only do this because the Malik of the village is a genuinely wise and generous soul. He an I have bonded on the deepest level. This village sent fighters , including Asam , to fight Al Queda at Tora Bora. They do , however share most of the beliefs of the Taliban . Non of the children , boys or girls are allowed to be educated and until now they have been against film. But we are having a huge influence and they are changing at an incredible rate. This defies what most people believe about them. Most authorities think such changes would take decades or are just not possible. Already they have accepted that Medina can act as a girl in a film and they have gradually accepted that our film director is a woman – Neha.Hellen has been a constant fascination for them – a western woman who can work in the field with men. Hellen has been a very important bridge to the women of the village and is suggesting we should screen the film for them in their own private space. Women would never be allowed into the tent audience with the men. But things have been breaking down . Women who would never , normally , allow themselves to be seen have been venturing out and sitting with Helen to watch the filming. This is incredible ….. something that has never happened before. Usually it is only the men who get to see stuff but these women feel they come under Hellen’s protection.